Heat and Pressure
by lovelyreading007
Summary: Heat and pressure can combine to make a lot of things. Coal, diamonds, and maybe even relationships. This is a story about the odd couple of DxQ and a couple of days in the Carribean that will throw their lives upside down. Plz Review! First Gundam fic.
1. Morning, Sunshine

**A/N: If you like this piece, do yourself a huge favor and check out Isis CW's Revelations! Just don't go till you finish my story!**

As the sun rose over his house, soft beams of morning light crept through the cracks of Quatre's shuttered windows. They shone on the bed, hitting sheets and pillows, but mostly playing with the strands of long blonde hair that seemed to cover it. It fanned out from under the sheets, it's owners head burrowed deep into the chest of another sleeping blonde. It was only 7 o' clock in the morning, and it seemed like they would rest forever. But Quatre just wasn't the type to sleep in.

"Dorothy."

"Mmmm." She snuggled in deeper and ran the tip of her nose across his chest.

"Dorothy. Shouldn't we get up? It's already 7 o'clock." Arching a distinctive eyebrow, she managed to keep the annoyance out of her voice while wondering if he was a sadist for waking her up so early, or a masochist for never sleeping in.

"Already seven? Don't you mean only seven? Quatre, let the sun rise without us. It can handle a morning without you." Finally, she shifted upwards to meet him eye to eye. She knew hers were still blurry with all the sleep she was missing, so she focused on blinking it out before her next comment.

"Try to enjoy it, sweetling. These pillows aren't going anywhere; so neither should we." Plopping her head next to Quatre's, he encircled her with his arms and bought himself closer.

"I'm going to listen to you. Just this once. And only because my back is aching."

"Yesterday was really something Quatre. Glad to know you have it in you… " He blushed, closing his eyes and sighing to himself. Before he went back to sleep, he kissed Dorothy's forehead and swept up her hair to lay it down behind her.

'_Last night…yeah. It was really something else…_'

* * *

YESTERDAY 12:00 NOON

"I can't believe you had something this pleasant hidden away." Dorothy walked down the drive way and away from the discovery that was the Winner's winter cottage. The heat was rolling off in waves from the sun and mixed with the green leafy humidity that made this place a tropic. She let her fingers touch leaves and flowers while looking over the estate.

Quatre had just found out about the estate after talking with one of this older sisters. Apparently, before the last of the Winner children were born, their parents purchased a home on Earth. The vacation spot was frequented by his parents when his father had the time off, and his mother employed a small army of nannies to take care of her children for a weekend. Originally it was a quaint locally owned hotel, but when the owners decided to sell, it became a holiday home to Quaterine and her older girls.

While Dorothy looked around outside, Quatre hauled all their stuff up to the wrap around porch that was out front. He looked at the house he just had re furbished in the hope that his old friends ( Heero and Relena ) would host their wedding here. Dorothy was always looking for ways to delay the paperwork that needed her attention, so she decided to tag along.

"They did a really good job on the lawn, Quatre; I'm sure the garden will be just as refreshing."

"The blue prints didn't really show any gardens…I never thought about it till now. Maybe they never got a chance to finish them." He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves. It was really stifling here. And people said that the desert was bad… What kind of mad person would enjoy all this moisture in the air?

"Dorothy, I think I'm beginning to melt. I'm taking the stuff inside, but you can pick your own room ok? "

She looked up at the porch and saw that he actually rolled up his sleeves. Thankful that the heat was good for loosening a person's dress code (and tongue), she began to walk towards the house.

" I'll see you in a minute then. I'm going to check out the backyard. See if we can't get a last minute garden up before the big day. "

After another two hours of exploring the grounds and sweating through vests and light sweaters, Quatre and Dorothy were finished exploring the house and were down to under shirts and bare feet. Even for the Caribbean , today was sweltering. They sat on the back porch enjoying the reason that there was no garden on the estate; a private beach.

Dorothy slumped into a porch swing while Quatre sat in the wicker furniture close to the palms on the side of the porch. They offered no shade or wind. Quatre rolled his eyes and wondered what kind of wicked island this was.

"Quatre?" He turned his head in Dorothy's direction and noticed the catty smile she had on her face. Was she actually enjoying this heat?

"Yes?" She pushed the swing back and forth with one foot while thinking about what she wanted to say.

"I forgot. It's so nice out here." Wiping the sweat for his forehead, he wondered if she was delirious.

"Are you okay? Do you need a glass of water?"

"What? Quatre, it's not that hot. The oceans a couple of yards away, and in a few hours the temperature will drop. " He knew she was enjoying this! It was probably her plan from the beginning. Get him as uncomfortable as she could, and see how much he can take before snapping…

"I'm going inside for a shower, when I get out, I expect dinner. " Winking at him, she stretched out and sauntered back into the house. He watched her leave, barely appreciating the swinging gait of his companion.

" Yes m' am. "

After the war, Quatre decided that no matter how far he pushed himself back into the family business, he couldn't forget Dorothy. The girl who didn't want to survive. The faux warrior, who switched sides just for the view of the battle. He heard about her in little snippets from Relena and Duo, the latter dropping in on both of them un-expectedly from time to time. They finally met for the second time at a dinner thrown in what used to be the Sanq kingdom for Relena's birthday. As confident as ever, she strolled over and re-introduced herself.

From that day on, Quatre took the re-introduction as an excuse to keep in touch. He called, visited and occasionally vacationed with Dorothy; who had become his closest friend on Earth- or the Colonies for that matter. Wiping his forehead off again he wondered why he was reminiscing. It was thoroughly

unlike him, and came with a bitter after taste. Why? Could it really just be the heat getting to him like this? He took a lists of restaurants that were close by out of his pocket.

They were on the island of Freeport… about five miles away from a luxury resort in Lucaya… Restaurants near by included China Beach, a gourmet Chinese food place, Willy Broadleaf, which served basically anything exotic, and Georgies; a traditionally Caribbean restaurant. Deciding that Chinese food sounded familiarly wonderful, he flipped his cell phone open and made arrangements for him to pick up a couple of take out platters. Closing the phone, he noticed it was 3:45. The food would be ready within the next hour, and it was only five minutes away. Quatre decided that a shower sounded like a terrific idea. Moving back into the living room, he noticed that the house was cooler than outside. The windows were open, but the shutters on them were closed. It allowed a small breeze to blow in, but barely any heat or light. Fans whirred slowly on the roof, adding to the new coolness of the evening.

All of this was fine, but his luggage wasn't where he left it. How frustrating. After walking around the lower half of the hotel, then the second story, he saw that Dorothy had put his bags next to the door of the master suite. Hers were next door and half dragged into the room. Pulling in his luggage, he picked out another pair of khakis and a white short sleeved t-shirt.

Walking into the bathroom, he noticed that was really an antique. There was a large claw-footed bathtub in the far left corner directly under a window that face the back of the house. The shower was in the far right, and on the wall in between them was a long marble desk like counter with a gilded mirror hanging in front of it. He decided not to tell Dorothy about the bathtub…It might get him kicked out of his room if she found out about the bathroom in general. He closed the door behind him and threw his sweaty undershirt to the floor. After everything else followed, he jumped into a shower that was cooler than usual. Taking a seat on a small bench in the corner of the shower, he soaked and thought about the reasons that he seemed so twitchy today. Maybe it was just Dorothy's influence really getting to him. She hadn't been around lately, so he was probably just re adjusting. They had talked quickly here and there, but hadn't seen each other within the last four…maybe five months. It was a long while for them to be apart.

* * *

MEANWHILE

Dorothy was just coming out of the shower when she heard Quatre's start. Oh goody. A few minutes to herself. Instead of the usual drying of her hair, in order to keep cool, she left it wet and added extra conditioner. What a day it was. Fourteen hard hours of traveling from Italy, to Miami and then finally to Freeport. Albeit they were all charter flights, she never got used to the constant popping of her ears travel entailed. But it was worth it, they ended up in what was basically a Caribbean villa. Like most of the larger structures in Freeport, the house was inspired by British colonial architecture. The white columns lining the porch were painted white, while the wooden paneling that covered the entire house was a eye prickling shade of teal. Everything on this island jumped out with zest and color. Though Italy was flamboyant, its modern architecture and ancient temples were looking incomparably drab. She was glad she decided to tag along.

She needed a vacation. It wasn't work or school that had her stressed, it was the people around her. Since she went back home, her friends felt distant. After everything that happened over the last couple of years, she felt so old sometimes. Back home she had to manage the accounts and estates that were left to her in the will of her grandfather. She also had to deal with the pity and scorn of all her fellow socialites. Usually, she was up to the task; but right now, sleeping for the rest of her life sounded so good. Dreaming and laughing about things that had nothing to do with Mrs. So and So's grandson, and the fact that he tried to impress her with his newest Lamborghini.

Guess he didn't know about the courtesy Ferrari she got for sponsoring one of their racing teams. Oh, well. Though it was only 4 O' clock in the afternoon, Dorothy defaulted into her pajamas. There was no way anyone was going anywhere tonight. At least she wasn't; Quatre could go get himself into all the Caribbean mischief he wanted to. She would rather sit and read. Sit, read and sleep. Okay, that was a lie. After pretending to read, she'd approach Quatre claiming she was bored, and then play around (mostly with his feelings) until they were too sleepy to go on.

Quatre. He was really acting odd today. His smirks were gone; replaced with a miniature scowl and sweat drops. He spent a third of the year in an Asian desert - this place should be a piece of cake for him. Maybe it was the trees. There weren't many coconut trees on the colonies or the desert…Is it possible that a coconut hit him while she wasn't looking?

'_Well, that wasn't a very practical thought now was it. If we could change peoples moods by hitting them in the head with a coconut, I would have done it long ago…_' The shower in Quatre's room finally ceased to make noise, and after another seven minutes, Quatre was knocking at her bedroom door. She checked her cell phone and it was now 4:27.

'_That was almost a thirty minute shower. And they say women are bad._'Apparently, Dorothy was taking to long, Quatre knocked again, this time softer, probably thinking she was in the middle of a nap. She hopped up and opened the door just in time to see that he was turning to leave.

"Leaving so soon? And dressed in evening clothes too; were you going to leave me behind Mr. Winner?"

"No Miss. Catalonia, just going to grab dinner before it gets dark." Dorothy raised an eyebrow at his answer. Dinner? Where was he getting dinner from? She thought they'd just wing it with the leftovers from the airport. Wait a second; that didn't sound healthy at all. No wonder she needed a nutritionist.

"It doesn't look like you intend to leave the house anyways Dorothy. You look really comfortable where you're at. I was going to ask you to tag along for the ride, but I guess you want to stay here…" He looked down at her pajamas and noticed that instead of the usual pajama sets she wore when sleeping over, the sleep ware was a matched set of a long maroon men's undershirt and pair of soffee shorts. There was a logo on the undershirt; it proclaimed Dorothy as a member of the Cornelli University Women's Tennis Club. Since when did she belong to a tennis club?

"You know what?" Her voice had shaken him out of his revere.

"I think I will tag along for the ride, it will only take you a couple of minutes to get to the restaurant right? If you don't mind, I just won't get out of the car." Smiling, she slipped into a pair of sandals and put her hair up in a pony tail. She would have put on her wind breaker, but opposite to what she thought, it didn't feel like the temperature dropped any at all.

'_I should have checked the weather before we left. Maybe it's a heat wave.' _She followed Quatre down to the car and hopped into the passengers seat. Usually she would be the one driving, but since they were in unfamiliar territory, she guessed she would just have to trust Quatre and the new GPS they bought along with them.

* * *

**A/N: Just a little note here, everywhere with the exception of the summer house is a real place in the Bahamas! Our Lucaya and the Westin are both luxury hotels in Freeport, and the restarants are both real and expensive. XD I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Review Review Review!!**


	2. Good Evening, I think?

**A/N: I started working on this as soon as I finished part one! I'm excited about this fic, it's the first one that's not a one shot. Look, I know I'm terrible for even using this song in a QxD fic, but I couldn't resist. I do not own Gundam wing, its characters or the song "Break you Off" preformed by The Roots ft Musiq. I know this might be an arguable point in my plot, I decided to OOC Quatre a little by changing his Islamic roots a bit. Just so he can enjoy a drink to two. evil chuckling**

It took them five minutes to find the hotel, and as Dorothy proposed, she stayed in the car. She wasn't so bold as to go outside in a pair of shorts like these. If she craned her neck out of the window, the rental was parked at an angle where she could see the colorful -and no doubt tourist filled- market in front of her. It was starting to get dark and lights were flicking on the little bars and boutiques. How cozy.

It also looked like the length of her shorts wasn't as bold as she thought. Even though back home was chock full of snowy furs, people were walking around in barely anything out here. Looking at a woman who was even more scantily clad than the rest, she wondered if this might be a clothing optional resort. Was that why Quatre was taking so long? Maybe he ran into a couple of nudist and passed out cold.

Her iPod said it was now 4:59. They arrived at the hotel parking lot at least seventeen minutes ago.

She noticed most of the people outside were heading back into the hotel. They were probably going back to change into their evening wear and come back out later. She would blend right in with the crowd if she hopped out to look for Quatre now. Besides that, she was curious about how the grounds on the hotel looked. Though she could hear the ocean near by, the beach was blocked by a concrete wall separating the hotel from the parking lot. That's it. Curiosity had the "Cat". Time to get out of the car and take a look around…

Taking the path that she saw Quatre walk from the car, she walked out of the parking lot and around its perimeter wall.

"Ooh."

Apparently, the hotel had its own little shopping center. Checking that her cell phone was in the back pocket of her tiny shorts, she hoped Quatre would have the sense to call her instead of panicking when she wasn't in the car. Along with her cell phone was her master card. Who would be fool enough to leave home without it? Eyeing the expensive watch store in front of her, she started to make her way in.

"Dorothy?" She froze on the spot. Darn it. She was busted. Maybe if she just kept walking…

"Dorothy, I know it's you. "

"Oh Hello Millardo. Nice to see you, as always. " It was nice; but only because she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Millardo Peacecraft. In shorts. If it wasn't such a terrible coincidence that they were both on this island at the same time, it would have been laughable.

"I thought with everything you're up to these days, you'd be to busy to vacation; Miss. Catalonia." How like him to assume she's on vacation. She could have been on a business trip. Well, time to correct him.

"Actually, as much as I'd like to say this is a vacation, it's more of a favor for Relena." The former marquis let his eyebrows rise in curiosity.

"Favor?"

" Oh yes, a favor. I am here to check out a property Relena was eyeing for her wedding." Dorothy smiled brilliantly as Millardo's face became dark.

"Then I'll have to stop by and give it a second look then. I wouldn't want anything to be less than perfect for my sister's wedding…She should take a long time planning the happiest day of her life." Yeah, right. Dorothy knew he was still bitter that she wasn't marrying someone like… Well, like Quatre. Instead, she was marrying a perfect soldier with a win or self destruct attitude. Needless to say, Millardo was thrilled.

Before they could continue biting at each others throat in a polite fashion, the reason Quatre was so late walked around the corner chatting with Quatre himself. Apparently, he had run into Lucrezia Noin. Hold on, Noin? Millardo? There was no coincidence in this. They were vacationing together! Dorothy turned back to Millardo and watched his face flush. Ha! They were vacationing together and she would bet her very vast fortune that no one else knew about this!

"Oh, Dorothy! I'm so sorry how long did I take?" Did this mean that Quatre forgot she was here with him? If she didn't know better, she'd be jealous. He scuttled up to her side to apologize again, but Millardo cut him off.

"So you're here with Dorothy, Quatre?" His head shot over to Millardo. In the rush to apologize to Dorothy, he didn't notice that Mr. Peacecraft was there at all.

"Yes I am, Hello Mr. Peacecraft, it's been a long time." Millardo nodded his head in acknowledgement and started to move towards Noin. Putting an arm around her waist, he kissed her forehead and watched her smile for the second time in minutes. Wow. What a smile it was. "Call me Millardo, Quatre. I'm not that old…" Taking his cell phone out of his pocket, Millardo checked the time. It was now 5:10. If he didn't hurry now, Noin and he would be late to dinner. No, they couldn't be late tonight…

"I would hate to rush and end this, but Lucrezia and I have reservations for Willy Broadleaf's at seven tonight." Noin tugged on Millardo's hand till he looked up at her. Oh boy…she was using "the eyes". He still hadn't learned how to say no to those…

"Zechs, maybe we can meet them tomorrow? It would be fun to have some company while we're here. "

Obviously smitten by her, he agreed and then arranged that they would all meet at Quatre's manor, noon tomorrow. Meeting Quatre's eyes he asked if he should pick up Dorothy on the way to the manor, or if he was closer.

"Actually Millardo, we're staying together. " The older couple stood there in shock. Noin couldn't resist.

"Really?"

"Yes, Miss. Noin, we are." Dorothy smiled widely and wondered why Quatre was acting so slow. Now these two would think they were on…a secret honeymoon or something. She decided that she wouldn't be using her master card tonight after all. Just for that, Quatre was going to buy her a new watch. An expensive new watch.

"Well, we wouldn't want you guys to be late." Dorothy winked at the lightening count and his date. "We'll see you tomorrow!" With a quick goodbye, she grabbed Quatre and skipped back to the rental car in a hurry. Dorothy looked at Quatre expecting him to say something about the information he just gave to Zechs. Until Quatre informed him that Dorothy was staying at his place, she had some perfectly good blackmail to use against him if anything ever came up. Now he could always say that there was proof Quatre and her were dating. -Which they weren't- But no one would see staying in a practically abandoned villa as…um not dating. Finally, she gave the staring game up. He didn't even seem to notice her glare. Really, what was up with him today?

They drove off the resort into the darker part of twilight. Quatre was humming the tune from the radio softly. It actually was one of Dorothy's favorites, and for some reason, she felt like singing along tonight. Apparently, she wasn't the only one. Before the first words were past her lips, she heard Quatre singing along quietly. This trip was really full of surprises. She almost strained her ears listening, but decided it was worth it.

…_**Keep each other thirsty **_

_**Kisses like Hershey**_

_**But lips are sealed, **_

'_**cuz we don't need the controversy**_

_**I say 'I'm in town'**_

_**You say you 'want it in the worse way'**_

_**You proally told your man-**_

Stopping for a second as they pulled into the driveway and turned the car off , her hands fumbled with her seatbelt. She noticed that he was also taking his off, but having less trouble. Thinking he had the intention of taking out the food and going inside, she blinked as he didn't. He relaxed further into the seat to finish off the last verse of the song. Her eyes opened wide, along with her mouth as he recited the lyrics to the song almost perfectly. This song was…sensual. Smooth and very sexy. She never would have guessed Quatre knew it.

_**Meanwhile the champagne chills in the ice **_

_**You ready for the freakiest thangs you done in yah life**_

_**We break it down like we rouge dogs pullin' a heist **_

_**You makin' sounds like the vibe got you reaching yah height**_

_**Pre pare for flight **_

_**This is your captain, **_

_**I'm getting strapped in**_

_**It's no denying this strength -that it's attraction, girl**_

_**Workin with this you won't be taken a loss**_

_**So stop foolin your man and roll with the one that's breakin you off.**_

Dorothy was blushing by time he finished. His voice never went above a whisper, but it was a sweet baritone that complemented the song nicely. The same voice you would use to murmur this appeal into someone else's ear. To seduce the listener into following the songs instructions. He sat with his eyes closed and let the rest of the song play itself off. Not feeling the need to sing along with the chorus, he just turned the radio up instead.

_….I'm commin over - to give it to you…Babe.._

_Commin to break you off _

_Commin to break you off, _

_Commin to break you off , yeah babe…_

Smiling, he turned the car off before the song could end. Completely tuned into his own world, he grabbed the Chinese food from the backseat and started to leave the car. Grimacing at the change of temperature from the car to outside, he also wished he could take the air conditioner with him. Finally, his head turned enough to notice that Dorothy wasn't moving. Checking to see what the problem was, he saw her hands were shaking as she was trying to undo her seat belt. Her face was hidden behind a curtain of hair.

What could the problem be? Was she crying? Did Zechs say something to her before he got there? His hands encompassed hers and stilled the trembling. He pressed the seat belt release and then moved her hands away. Dorothy just stared at their hands in between them, so instead of letting go, he lifted one of his hands up to her chin and tilted her head forward to look at his face. He couldn't see it in the dark, but her face actually flushed redder than before.

"Dorothy?" His voice broke her revere. It was tinged with worry for her. She better respond before he had a heart attack…

"Hmm?" Really? Was that the best she could do? She guess that little performance really shook her up.

"Dorothy, are you okay?" She noticed his face was very close to hers. The hot air was flooding into the car through the open door. It felt like it was getting harder to breathe.

"I think I am Quatre, that song…it's one of my favorites. I guess it took me somewhere else." He blushed and let go of her chin. He hoped she didn't notice he was singing it… Sighing, he let go of Dorothy's hand and left that car.

She took the quick moments he took to get to the door to pull herself together. Just then, when he left the car, she found herself wanting to keep a hold on Quatre's hand. Was it really just to song doing this to her? Or was it something else? Though they'd only pulled up two minutes ago and the sun was already down, the heat was still oppressive. It was time to get back inside…This had to be a heat wave. What else could produce so much…pressure in the air? Walking through the front door, she made her way to the kitchen. Quatre was doling out the food onto plates. Mmm. Chinese.

He paused for a second and then filled two cups with ice from the fridge. Pouring two drinks out of their Styrofoam containers and into the cups, she heard the ice cracking in them.

"Everything smells delicious Quatre, what did you order?" He sighed and tilted his head back. Apparently, he had forgotten.

"Umm…Grilled chicken with a peanut satay, and vegetable fried rice." Mmmm. Thai and Chinese food. She wasn't giving the restaurant the credit it deserved…

"And the drinks?" He smiled and took a sit from the cup that was still in his hand.

"I got a red dragon for myself, and a golden monkey for you." She raised her eyebrows and took her cup off of the table. Taking a sip, she immediately realized two things. One: that she was entirely too thirsty, and two; that she would have to pour herself a glass of water along with this "golden monkey", because the latter had enough alcohol to buzz her if she gulped it down too quickly.

"What's wrong? Want to switch drinks?" His eyes were appraising. Had she made a face while she sipped it? Guess so.

"No thanks, I'm fine." He nodded and then started to take his plate out of his kitchen. What? He wasn't going to eat with her? Where was he going?

"Quatre, where are you going?"

"To my room…I have some homework to finish before the visit tomorrow." He turned back around and left. _'I honestly feel hurt right now. Why did he invite me if he's not even going to spend time with me?'_ It was disconcerting. She picked at her food, no longer feeling hungry. However, she did finish the entirety of her drink. Grabbing her book and her iPod off the table. She retreated back to her room. After a couple of chapters, she was going to ask Quatre what was wrong. And if something happened within the months that they were apart. Why else would he be acting so strange? That's when she heard it. The rumbling of thunder. Even though it was perfectly clear when they arrived earlier today, it sounded like it was going to rain. And with all the humidity that was in the air ready to be condensed into clouds, it was going to be bad.

Damnit! I'm never going anywhere without checking the weather again. Throwing herself down on the bed, she opened her book up and tried to concentrate.

**A/N: Yeah that's right. Quatre sang Break you off. I was going to do something a little bit sappy and more romantic, but then I realized that this was Dorothy's favorite song. Not Quatre's. I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. Don't worry, the third is coming up quicker than this ok? Keep reviewing!**


	3. Tell All Arabian Nights

**A/N: So you've made it this far huh? Ooh how curiosity kills the cat. lol **

When Dorothy came back around, she could hear the rain falling thick on the roof of the house. It was now 8:01. She had fallen asleep for a little less than two hours. She felt warm and sticky…What was going on? Why was she so hot? That's when she noticed that her room was dark, and her fan was no longer on. Did Quatre see her sleeping and turn off the switch for the light/fan? That wasn't it. Even if he did, the A.C would have kept the room bearable. She moved her pillows and books away from her. It hindered the stuffy feeling a little bit, but she decided to get up and turn on the fan. When she flipped the switch, nothing happened. 

**Flip.**

**Flip. Flip. **She frowned. No. It couldn't be. Maybe if she just tried one more time…

**Flip. Flip. Flip. **

Fantastic! What a way to end the night! The power was out, it felt like 102 degrees, and Quatre didn't even come wake her up or anything! That's it. She'd had enough! Opening her bedroom door with a silent vehemence, she saw the light of flickering candles under Quatre's door. And the steady glow of something else…Walking towards the door, she hushed her footsteps; hoping to open it without Quatre turning around. Dismissing the fact that he's an ex gundam pilot, she tried anyways. 

And succeeded. Quatre was asleep with one hand still on his laptop. Snoring quietly, he was …deeply involved in a nap. Dorothy stared at his face and felt hers soften. She decided to save her wrath for another time. He was tired, and probably irritable. When was she going to find out what was wrong with him? She walked closer to his bed in order to turn his laptop off. She reached over him (tiptoeing a little) and snapped it shut. A loud series of beeps and churns followed as the little computer shut down. Just her luck. She was so close to not waking him up…Cringing, she tilted her head down and to the right to find Quatre's face. Darnit. He was wide awake.

* * *

Apparently, he fell asleep. Which is why Dorothy was leaning over his chest, just half an inch away from his skin to turn off his laptop…Right? He opened his eyes abruptly when he heard his laptop close just in time to see her cringe at the sound. He felt so tense right now; the situation was surreal. The way that the room was covered in shadows, and that nothing had made a sound since the laptop closed seconds ago was maddening. Everything felt on edge. At that moment, he felt like they were too close. Even though they weren't touching; he could feel her. Though she was quiet; he heard her breathing. It was the strained breaths of someone who was stretched out too far. In the end, she was always stretched out too far. She had to manage her estates, go to school, work on her investments and somehow manage to keep her real self far from the surface while doing everything. It clawed at him on the inside, knowing that she could never slow down enough to notice…

She was now staring at him, her eyes discontent with the fact that she had failed to let him sleep. 

"I didn't mean to wake you…" Was it the candle light? Or were her eyes particularly shiny tonight. Silence stretched out between them as her arms started to shake with the strain of holding her up. Apparently, it wasn't the light. It was tears. They ran down her face silently, and landed softly on his shirt. He wasn't expecting this, even though he knew something was bothering her since they were on their way back from the restaurant. He couldn't take it anymore. This heat and pressure. Her tears and shaking arms that were stretched to far. 

Though he knew what he was about to do would only make it hotter, he decided that he would do anything and everything to stop her from crying. In one swift motion, he wrapped his arms around Dorothy's torso and pulled her down into a very tight hug. Letting go after what felt like forever, he let her shift into a more comfortable position against his chest.

* * *

She collapsed into his arms after being pulled down and stared into his face with disbelief. She was so confused. Who was this person? Who pulled her down so forcefully, but looked at her with that level of concern so deep, she could only associate it with Quatre. In the beginning, his hug was so tight, she couldn't even consider moving, but now, she was free to shift in what ever way she wanted to move. So many contradicting actions and thoughts. She so felt dizzy with relief and the sadness that hadn't't abated yet, that she didn't trust her voice. Taking advantage of her freedom to move, she latched right back onto him, trying to tell him without words that it was okay to talk about what was bothering him. Even if in the end, it was her.

* * *

"Dorothy wh-" She shook her head viciously and looked back up at him.

"No, Quatre. Don't ask what's wrong with me. The only thing wrong with me right now is you. You've avoided me, ignored me, _abandoned_ me in a parking lot, and then went back to doing the first two only after you sung a very… suggestive verse in a song that you shouldn't even know." He looked at her cluelessly, trying to figure out when he did any of those. Apparently, he hadn't't noticed. Great. Before listing examples and possibly using a large amount of explicit vocabulary, she cut herself off and looked down. It all came together when she said it out loud…Letting go of Quatre, she stood and began to walk out of the room. How could she be so stupid? How could she think that she could keep Quatre, who was always kind and smiling, to herself. 

He had a girlfriend. Every single sign was there. He was probably trying to distance himself from her. That's probably what this whole trip was for, to tell her that they couldn't…be them anymore. To say that his time is going to some other woman who happened to smile a lot more than her. She didn't know how she got there, but her hand was on the doorknob and ready to turn it before she felt herself being swept up off the floor and walked over to the bed again. He was carrying her to his bed. If she wasn't so emotionally drained right now, there would be no end to the jokes. 

When the hell was he going to stop playing with her? Oh no, she was starting to tear again. There was no way she would cry over this. They weren't even together. They were friends. And all playmates grew out of each other after some time… She both heard and felt him sigh. Sitting with his back against the headboard, he held onto her in his lap. 

"I think I can answer you now, Dorothy."

"I have a good idea of what you're going to say. You didn't need to invite me here to say it, you could have done it over the phone." The gloom that was in her voice annoyed him. Was it really that bad? Couldn't't she just pretend that everything could stay the same between them? No, not his little non committed princess. Holding her tighter, he made her snap out of her gloomy revere. 

"Can you just listen to me please? I don't want things to change between us, and I think an explanation would help." She rolled her eyes. How can things stay the same? What girlfriend would be okay with her other half cavorting around with a bitter, yet very flirtatious single woman. Wait? Was he asking her to be his mistress? Wow. She never thought she'd have to use physical violence in their relationship again, but if that was the case…

"How long were we apart, Dorothy? We went from being together almost twice a month… to not seeing each other for almost half a year." Ah. So that's when he had the time to date… She moved her hands from her sides to around his neck. Settling her head on his shoulder, she probably realized this is was the last time she could do this. Who ever that girl was, she better appreciate him. Especially his smell. Since when had he smelled so delicious? Ah. It was like Cinnamon and Davidoff's cool water. Mmm. Smooth. 

" I tried to convince myself that I was OK with us just speaking on the phone. That emails and pictures were okay, and that I was just being selfish for wanting you back at my side…After all, you had to go to school right? We both did." 

Hmm. So he probably met her at school. Thinking back on those days, they both decided that for once, they would act normal and actually attend university. Though it would have been easier to seek their degrees on-line, that would deprive them of the social interaction that university would force on them. She regretted the decision as soon as the most sought after boy in the school decided to try to court her. First of all, she didn't want him, and second, all the new "girl friends" she made started staring daggers. How mature. 

"But I felt like something was missing. I got up and went to class everyday thinking about how much I missed having you next to me. I spent so much time thinking about it, that I started falling asleep on the computer with my essays only half written." 

He frowned a bit and looked back down at her face. Swiftly looking away from him, realizing that she couldn't face him. After sitting here in his arms and remembering who her Quatre was, she wasn't ready to give him up. It was getting hard to breathe again. Damn this oppressively stuffy room. Deciding she didn't want to hear the rest of his story, she found her voice and cut in. 

"So who she?" He blinked at her. 

"What? You don't know?" I thought you figured it out." His voice sounded a little tight. 

"Quatre, the only women you have mentioned in your emails are you professors; and though that would really be something to see, I doubt you're dating one of them. So who is she?"

"Dating?" He snorted and rolled his eyes. She wasn't wrong often, but when she was, she was wrong.

Dorothy pinched the skin on his shoulder out of irritation. He was confusing the hell out of her. Why was he snorting like that? Was he going to try to lie to her and say there wasn't someone else? Time to get some control back in this situation. She may be blond, but she was anything but dumb.

"Unless you're not dating women. Is that why you haven't mentioned it before? " Hmm. Back to using low blows. Maybe it wasn't going to be so hard letting go as she thought. Not if she could still use low blows. 

"Ow! Quatre, behave! " He had pinched her back. She promised he was going to pay for when he finished his little…tale.

"Let me finish what I was saying OK? Then you can hit me all you want. Physically even." He was smiling, but it didn't reach his eyes. Here we go…After another minute or two of nothing but the rain beating on the roof, Quatre started to speak again. They were both starting to sweat from the heat their bodies were giving off, but none of them were willing to let the other go. Both of them thought that this was the last night that they would hold each other, if it was nothing else. He spoke in a quieter voice now. As if talking to himself instead of her.

"I put you away, Dorothy. In a little box that I could only open when I was alone and in bed. That I could think of when I was just falling asleep, so the next morning I wouldn't't remember thinking about you at all. It hurt so much to miss you…" She tightened her grasp on his neck again. Her poor Quatre. So sweet and sincere. She missed him too… and now she was losing him forever.

"By time the second semester came around, I made friends. That helped, but there were still those nights…"

_:: Flash back::_

_He tossed and turned all night long. There was no relief from the thoughts that kept popping up. Her laugh. Her face when she smiled that catty smile. The way they always ended up in each others arms after being in the same place for more than an hour. That feeling of being whole. He felt like crying. It was torture. Soon enough, the tears fell down his cheeks. He fell asleep on a wet pillow with her name on his lips. _

_::End Flashback::_

"So I buried you even deeper. And forgot who you were to me." His voice was barely discern-able above the harsh rise and fall of his chest. What had she done to him? She was being selfish again, thinking about how much she was going to miss him…She hoped who ever he had back on the colonies wasn't selfish. He didn't deserve it. 

"When I got out on break, my friends went their way, and I went mine. I was alone again, and you were starting to come back out of your box. So I left my house and went to stay with my sister Milam, who told me about the beach house." He paused and looked up at the ceiling. The rain had started to fall softer, but the candles were burning low. The room was getting dim enough that it was hard to see his face clearly. 

"Without thinking, I called you. I knew that Heero and Relena were looking for a place to get married, and that with your help, I could fix it up and offer it to them." 

She remembered that conversation well. It was short, but it really made her day. Running late to class, she flipped open her cell and jogged while she was speaking to him. Already arranging plans for a construction crew to head down there in her head. A month later, they ended up here in each others arms; slowly trying to break a bond neither of them wanted to break. He still hadn't't mentioned his girlfriend. Was it possible that he really didn't have one? If he didn't, why didn't he "let her out" of the "box" when he saw her? 

"By time that we met again in Italy, I convinced myself that you didn't miss me as much as I missed you. After all, I'm sure you made a lot of friends at school. Maybe you even met a boy…" She snorted again. 

"Like heck I did." He smiled a little at that.

"I wanted to act a little less attached than usual. I guess I ended up being a little more aloof than I intended. I'm sorry that I hurt you Dorothy…It was the last thing I intended to do when I invited you." And that was her breaking point. For the second time tonight, she was crying tears of confused relief. So happy that there was not a girlfriend, but afraid of why she was happy. She really liked Quatre. And though she wouldn't't admit it to herself the whole time she was away from him, it hurt so much to be that way.

"That's fine Quatre, I missed you just as much. I really did." For some reason, he cringed a little at her words. " I was disappointed in…you not being you when we got here. Where had the sweet, love able, easily flustered man I knew go?" He smiled and removed his right hand from under her knees to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. It was still so hot, but some of the pressure was gone. He felt it build back up at what he was about to say. 

"Dorothy, I didn't just miss us being friends." She wiped her tears away with her arm and looked up blinking. The sweat from her body stung her eyes. Then she noticed that he had stop breathing. Completely. Okay. What was it now? 

"Quatre." It came out as a breathless whisper. Not an ounce of the question she wanted to ask was in the way she said his name. What did he mean just being friends? He started to breath again, and finally moved his arms away from her back as well. She was now flat on the bed, except for her legs that were still across his. 

Relaxing, she thought about asking him to grab them something to drink from the kitchen. She closed her eyes. It had to be close to eleven by now. In her book, the night was still young, but she was so tired. Suddenly, the bed springs surrounding her shoulder sink deeper into the bed. For the second time tonight, she was surprised. 

Quatre loomed over Dorothy when she opened her eyes to see what was shifting the springs. His face was half a foot above hers in flickering shadow, hands on either side of her shoulder. Most men would hope that when they tried to kiss a girl, she wouldn't't cry or hit him. He had to hope that she wouldn't't laugh.

"Well this looks familiar." A reference to the fact that two hours ago, Dorothy was in nearly the same position. He chuckled above her. Taking it as a good sign, he lowered himself to his elbows. He heard Dorothy gasp in the dark. Maybe she wouldn't't laugh at him if he kissed her; maybe she would just kill him. Blushing in the dark, there was only one way to find out. Lowering his face, he closed his eyes and brushed his nose against hers. Feeling her go tense beneath him, he mentally chuckled. This was the first night ever that he'd seen her feel so uncomfortable. Kissing her cheek softly, he nuzzled his way down to her ear with his nose.

"If you want to, you can say no. In fact, even though this is my room, I'll walk out right now if you ask me to." Though it was barely a whisper, she heard every word he said with perfect clarity. Just what was he asking to do? Her breath caught in her chest as she thought of the situation. Quatre would never ask anything inappropriate of her. She trusted him with everything that she had. He sighed softly into the side of her and sat back up. She may have relaxed physically, but in her head, she was running around in circles. She turned her head to face the bottom of the bed. The silence that followed between them was heavy. He moved her legs off of him and started to walk across the room in the dark.

"Where are you going?" More silence. 

"To take another shower."

"Should I…leave?" He looked back at her and shrugged his shoulders. Bending over his luggage, he rummaged through till he found an old shirt and some pajama pants. 

"You don't have to, I'm getting dressed in the bathroom."

" I'll be here when you get out then." She was sick of running around in circles tonight. 

While he was gone, she hopped up to grab her iPod and wet her hair. By time he came out, she was on her third song, and thinking about what all this could possibly mean.

When Quatre finally collapsed on the bed beside her, she could smell the soap he used on himself for the second time tonight. 

"What did you mean you miss us being more than friends?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him cringe. Before he could answer, she kept going.

"We have never been more than friends. So how could you miss anything else." Sighing, she continued. 

"I am under the impression that you think we can be more than friends."

"We can't." She stared at the roof of the room, not strong enough to look at his face. It was true. They couldn't be more than friends. Being friends alone was pushing it! She tried to kill him! Wasn't't that enough reason to hate her? If that wasn't, what about all the times she snapped at him; the times she took her anger out on the only one kind enough to even care about why she was upset. How could they be more than friends? 

"We can." Snapping her head to look at Quatres' face, the look in his eyes made her furious. Hard to discern as they were in the darkness, she saw determination, pleading, and even hints of amusement. 

"No, we can't. Quatre, we come from two different worlds. Our approaches to life are so different, that I'm surprised we don't hate each other. It would be easy for me to hate you if you would have stayed away from me after Libra. I was raised to."

"You were raised to be a demure, soft spoken princess who was content with her title as a lady. " She snorted and looked away from him.

"We can't be more than friends when I don't want to be." Her voice was cold. Good. She wouldn't't let this happen. It would ruin Quatre to claim someone who was so…unconventional in her methods. This relationship would only bring him pain in every way. In the end, they would both be full of resentment towards each other. She couldn't see it ending in any other way.

"You're wrong. You want this too…"

"You can't tell me what I want, Quatre. You don't live inside my head."

"And yet, I think I know you better than you know yourself sometimes."

She sat up straight in the bed and looked down at him like he was crazy. That was an insult; whether he thought so or not. She had honed every single aspect of herself to her liking. Trained herself to be everything she wanted to be- down to the spectrum of colorful words she used to turn people livid. 

"Quatre Winner. I know exactly who I am every single second of the day. You are obviously confusing me with one of those soft hearted demure princesses I was raised to be. If you think for a second that I would be satisfied giving up everything I know to become your coy and smiling mistress; then our friendship is a sham, and I'm leaving tonight. In fact, even if you don't think that, I might leave tonight anyways! " Getting up to leave the bed, he pulled her back with an arm around her waist. 

"Let go of me!" He didn't. He wouldn't't dare. She struggled against his iron grip and pinched his arm with her nails. 

"I'm losing my patience Quatre I swear when you let me go I'-" His lips met hers with some pressure, but with no intention to force her into continuing the kiss. When she didn't move away, he deepened this kiss till she responded. Finally, she stopped fighting herself. When he moved his lips off of her, she relaxed, and fell back into his arms. Which is why he was genuinely surprised when she slapped the hell out of him. 

_**SLAP.**_

"Ow!"

"How dare you! What right do you have to-" She raised her hand again and Quatre caught it in his. Without missing a beat, he kissed her again. They didn't resurface till they were both panting for air. 

"You fuc-"This time, he covered her mouth with his hands and looked into her face; all the while smiling. 

"I love you." Her eyes softened and she stopped trying to bite his hand. 

"I really do. And I don't want a coy, smiling mistress. I want a brazenly out spoken, luminescently beautiful you." He removed his hand from her mouth. It was drawn into a grim line.

"It won't last." He chuckled at her. 

"I'm serious Quatre, it won't!" Grabbing her up into a tight hug, it no longer felt so hot in the room. All the pressure was off, the cards down on the table. Looking back into her eyes, he asked her to humor him. In the end, she did. Laying back down on the bed, she pulled him down with her and into another kiss hot with fervor. 

"Rule number one: If all our kisses aren't't as good as the ones tonight, I quit." Rules? He laughed at her and waited to continue.

"Rule number two: you owe me a watch. A very expensive one."

"What? A watch? What does that have to do anything?" She played with his hair, loving- er liking the confusion in his eye. 

"Rule number three: No telling until we're ready."

"I don't like that rule. I'm not ashamed of you, I think everyone should know."

"Including all the gossip rags in the sphere? My, my, my. Even I don't think you could sit with a smile on your face after reading those headlines. _**Young Rich Executive Quatre Winner hooks up with Naughty Heiress.**_"

"Naughty? This is not a hook up. Dorothy-" She rolled his eyes. Really, what did he see her as? 

"That brings me to rule number four: don't under estimate me; or any of the schemes that come with me."

"Schemes?" He laughed out loud and snuggled further into her collar. 

"Just let me set up some secret accounts before you do anything that will have us on the run, okay? Though I'm sure with Heero and Wufei in the presenters, we won't have long before we're caught."

"Mmm. You're right." Kissing his forehead, she felt her eyes droop down in defeat. Though it had to be well past midnight, the rain had started to pound against the roof again, though this time, she found it sounded kind of nice. Quatre wrapped his arms around her waist and breathed in the scent of her hair. Smiling, she thought that this could be kind of nice. You know, before it exploded in both of their faces and they went their separate ways.

"Goodnight Dorothy."

"Goodnight Quatre." She moved her head down and gave his neck an awkwardly placed pop kiss. Even in the dark, somehow she could tell he was blushing. It didn't matter if it was her proper place or not; tonight, she was staying in this bed, and there wasn't a think anyone could do or say about it that would make her move. For at least tonight, they were each others, and each others alone.


	4. The Watch: Part I

**Important authors note: **

**Hi everybody! It's time for an update on everything. Tomorrow, I am going to Miami for a working vacation. I have a research paper to do, a house my dad is selling to clean, and lots and lots of friends to party with. Yeeeessssssssssss! I am glad that you enjoy my fan fiction, and have decided to continue this story past Q and D finally getting together. I am also having a really nice beta reader review what I've written so far and correct grammar and mistakes! Yay again! Anyway, the point of this message is to inform you that this chapter is just a little vignette in the story to keep you satisfied while I'm in Miami toiling away in the spring time heat. Enjoy ok? And please. REVIEW. You're doing a great job of it so far!  
**

**Lots o love, **

**LR007**

**The Watch: Pt. 1**

They had stopped at the shops in the Bahamas, the airport in Miami, and again at the shops in Milan international airport. He thought rule number two was a joke! He still had no idea why he owed her a watch. Though he was curious as to why, he took it as a chance to get Dorothy a gift without having to sneak around to find out what she wanted. Every single one of her birthdays had been a hassle to get her something tastefully original. Walking around the shop the fifth jewelry shop they've been to in a week, he glanced through the glass at pieces similar to what he's seen everywhere else. No, this would not be the store she would pick her watch from…he was sure of it.

"Let's go Quatre, it's not here either." With an internal sigh, he wonder if they were ever going to find what she was looking for. As they walked out the store, the shop keeper gave them a very feeble goodbye and come again. Quatre cringed, remembering what had taken place just a few minutes ago.

* * *

"Hello, welcome to Mirro's Jewelry." The store attendant was all smiles. However, he doubted that these two young people had enough money to buy anything here if they put their wallets together.

"Hello, we're just going to have a quick look around if you don't mind." He nodded in Dorothy's direction acknowledging her statement. The look in his eyes- that I know you're 'just looking' because you can't afford anything else look- go on her nerves. Quatre was on the other side of the store looking at rings and bracelets. If she did it correctly, she could get away with giving this man what was coming to him without the lecture she was bound to get from Quatre. Looking down and appraising the jewelry in her mind, she walked over to what was bound to be one of the most expensive pieces on display and asked him to take it out of the glass case.

It was a gorgeously ornate platinum necklace. It's length was perfect and would fit nicely around her neck any day. In the middle of the necklace was a fleur de lie sprinkled with diamonds, and crested with a blue sapphire on the middle petal. The piece was easily 10 grand.

"This is a darling. Sir, how much is this necklace?" As she put it up to her neck and glanced in the mirror, she saw that the attendants smile was grim.

"Fourteen thousand euros, madam." With a fake look of surprise, he made the gentleman smile indulgently. When she put the necklace down, he started to return it to it's case. Placing her hand on his, she bought his eyes up to hers and gave him a lovely smile.

"Why are you putting it away?"

"Well I assumed that-"

"That I didn't want it? I thought that asking you to take it out of the case would have hinted at my interest in it." She tapped his hand and then removed hers to make a show of taking out her wallet.

"Would you like to see our payment plans ma'am? I have a brochure-" She pouted and began to opened her wallet. Leaving it on the counter, she made sure he could see her Black mastercard (A/N: For those of you who don't know, the "black card" has no limit, and is way more exclusive than platinum. Another little note is that you cannot apply for a black card, it must be offered to you. Hahahaha. Yes. ).

"No, I don't think I asked to see a payment plan. Again, you're assuming things you have no right to assume." At this point, she felt Quatre's arm wrap around her waist. Crud. Right when she was going to give it Mr.Smug. Well, no point in stopping now. She would take the lecture later.

"Is there a problem, Dorothy?"

"No dear, just looking at a trinket I thought would look nice in my jewelry box." The salesman flinched at the word trinket. Quatre tightened his hold on her, knowing that the tone of voice she was using insured him of the trouble the attendant was in.

"I think it looks very nice. Do you want it instead of the watch?" When Quatre pulled the same card Dorothy had on the counter out of his wallet, the store attendant nearly fainted. Two black cards in one day! Two!

"No, but you've put me back on track towards what I was looking for in the first place." Turning to the attendants now ashen face, she requested that he put the necklace back in the case after all, and that she would ask for his help if and when she needed it. Walking out of Quatre's arm, her heels clicked away from him and further into the store. Giving the employee a sheepish smile, he walked her and wondered what he did to deserve her quiet wrath.

* * *

They walked out onto the street into chilly Milano air. Deciding that they needed abreak, Quatre steered her into a café that looked promising. After ordering a small pot of coffee and two croissants, they settled at a table for lunch.

"This is a cute café." Dorothy was avoiding the stern face Quatre was trying to give her.

"What did he do?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Trying to look imposing, he sighed and frowned.

"I'm not going to ask you again…"

"Good. Then we can enjoy our coffee." Okay, fine. He'd ask again.

"Dorothy, just tell me." Pouting at him, she started to sweeten her coffee.

"Why am I always the villain? I was teaching him a lesson."

"Mhm."

"He assumed that we couldn't afford anything."

"And what was the problem with assuming two nineteen year old college students can't afford expensive first class jewelry?" She looked at what they were wearing. Both of them were wearing faded college sweaters with hoods and she was in jeans. Okay, so maybe the store attendant had a point. They didn't look like millionaires…

"That's stereotyping." Sighing. He took Dorothy's hands in his and kissed them.

"You just don't want to admit you were wrong."

"Quatre, just drink your coffee." Laughing, he poured his first cup. Even if they were just shopping for jewelry, there was never a boring day between them.

* * *

**A/N:Didn't that make you tingly on the inside? Now return the tingle and review, my lovelies. Review liked you've never viewed before! Hope to give you more soon, **

**LR007**

* * *


	5. Brunch with the Peacecrafts

A/N: I know I know...what took me so long right?? Oh guys, if you only knew... The point is, I had to get a brand new computer, and it didn't come with a word processor. Things go so slow when you have to work for your money...

* * *

The sun was poking through the window again, and it felt so good. In fact, everything felt good. The way the sheets felt so soft on his face…the way the pillow was just soft enough…the way Dorothy was still lying… ok. So maybe she wasn't still lying next to him after all….

"Does Quatre usually sleep in the late, Dorothy?" Noin and the Lady Catalonia were sitting outside enjoying the afternoon heat. Of course Ms. Noin knew he didn't sleep in late… This woman's sarcasm was right up her alley. "Oh yes, all of the time. I never see him up before one in the afternoon."

They both laughed at the thought of it. After the chuckling was done, they sipped their ice tea, and Noin calmed down to seriously refute her last statement.

"For some reason, I don't see Mr. Winner as the nocturnal type. Surely he goes to bed on time."

"Oh no, he is the nocturnal type Ms. Noin, and an early riser." Dorothy was sure she knew what she meant. She could never imagine the lightening count taking it easy…or not finishing an assignment, no matter how long it took. They had picked people who lived to worked; not worked to live.

However, now was not the time to think of that. It was a beautiful out on this porch. The humidity cleared up with the rain, and left behind an eye prickling shade of bright blue. Noin had managed to keep the lunch appointment she had set with the young couple, but Millardo had to attend to some pressing issues on Mars. Though he didn't have to leave the island, he was stuck in the hotel on a very long conference call with some disgruntled engineers on the red planet. Earlier that morning, Dorothy had awoken at eleven thirty to find Quatre still knocked out beyond return. Deciding to let him sleep off last night's emotional drunkenness, she swung herself out of bed with enough grace that Quatre remained asleep. After tidying herself up for a few minutes, the doorbell trilled and she was there to answer it. What would Noin and Millardo thought if they didn't? Two teenagers? One house…no one up before noon. Insinuations galore. The wonderful thing about associating with Ex-secret faction soldiers is that they didn't like to gossip…at least to people outside the proverbial circle.

Oh, well. She'll just enjoy today and worry about tomorrow later. It was turning out to be more fun than she planned already. She and Noin had hit it off quickly enough while touring the house. They noticed all the little things that made it even more charming. The crown molding that was etched with little palm trees…the golden clawed bathtub and rose speckled marble in the downstairs master bedroom…Dorothy almost switched rooms after seeing that. She wondered if Quatre's bathroom was like that as well. It didn't seem likely, he would have told her by now… Noin and she were now discussing likes and dislikes. It was all very basic conversation, but somehow it all seemed a bit brighter with this woman. Noin was an intellectual yes, but also very kind. And she must be patient, to live and love a man like Millardo, she had to be. None of them heard or saw the French door open and Quatre step out behind them. He walked onto such a pleasant scene; he didn't feel like interrupting himself. Two women he knew and cherished, smiling as the sun shone behind them. This island seemed like it was made of blessed miracles. He decided to listen to their conversation for a bit, and started a little when he heard his own named being mentioned…hmm. What could they be talking about?

* * *

"As I said before, Quatre's not just nocturnal; he's also an early riser. I don't think that anyone could beat his record when it comes to hours of sleeplessness due to take home assignments. "

"You know, I think I know someone who just might be able to challenge that record." Noin offered Dorothy a cookie she bought from the hotel. There was a whole bag of assorted types; each one a different type of delicious.

"Do you mean Mr. Peacecraft?"

"The one and only."

"So you understand how it is then, to watch someone so overworked finally at peace with his pillow. It would seem like a crime to wake him up…" They nibbled their cookies in silence, both probably thinking about the sleepless nights they endured with their counter-parts. Quatre watched on, grateful to have them in his life. These women were as solid and dependable as marble.

"I can see what you're saying Dorothy, but I can't agree that waking Millardo up when he has the time to rest as a crime." Sipping her tea, Dorothy arched her eyebrow in curiosity. She could never see Noin dragging Millardo out of bed for some sort of selfish reason. She wasn't the type to wake up her man so they could shop together. Noin dipped her head closer to Dorothy's ear and whispered something. After she pulled away, Quatre could hear the throaty suggestive laughter that Dorothy used when she was thinking of something that would eventually make Quatre blush. Oh darn it. Just when he thought that Dorothy had found someone he couldn't get into trouble with. He better break this up.

* * *

"Good morning ladies." Startled for a moment, they recovered instantly. Quatre crossed the porch to sit at the table in from of them. Their smiles were contagious; there was no way he could sit there and not beam back at them.

"Good _Afternoon_, Quatre. How nice of you to join us." Dorothy's smile was sincere, and yet full of the catty goodness that made her sparkle.

"Hello Quatre, I hope you're refreshed." Noin met his eyes with a smile. Quatre was convinced this was some kind of fantastic wonderland. He hadn't felt this wonderful in ages.

"I'm more than refreshed Noin; the only thing that could have made me happier would have been opening the door for your arrival. Where's Mr. Peacecraft?"

"Called away on business, he'll be here later. It's just a conference call."

"I'm sorry I wasn't awake in time to greet you, between Dorothy and my summer assignments, I was absolutely exhausted." He took an extra glass from the middle of the table and poured himself some ice tea.

"Quatre it's not my fault you tuckered out before me, maybe if you were a bit more entertaining I wouldn't have to harass you…" Quatre laughed at Noin's face. She thought they were seriously fighting.

"Well I'll make sure to be interesting tonight. Maybe I'll even jump through some flaming hoops. Anything to tire you out before me…" Oops. That didn't come out right. He refilled his glass and took a quick gulp. He was going to get eaten alive for that one…

"Quatre by the way you're speaking, I would assume that you're a bit frustrated." He choked on his ice tea. That comment was something he would expect from Dorothy, not Noin. He felt betrayed…

"Excuse me?"

"I only mean that it must be tough keeping Dorothy entertained." She smiled sweetly and passed him a cookie. "Eat up dear, you look pale."

Oh yeah, they were gonna' chomp him up and spit out his bones …

"I think I'm going to pass on that cookie…I think I need some real food." He excused himself from the table and prepared to leave. Dorothy grabbed his hand before he could get too far. Cookies were good, but lunch sounded great. Turning around to give her his full attention, Quatre caught her eyes and smiled like an idiot. She couldn't help return it…He was back after all. Her wonderful Quatre…

"If you're making lunch, can you double up? I'm famished." He raised her hand to his face and kissed it.

"Anything for you, Dorothy." She smiled and squeezed his hand. She laughed that then let it go.

"If that's the case, think of some new lines while making my sandwich."

* * *

"What was that about?"

"Ms. Noin I have no idea what you're referring to."

"Yes you do. I can no longer give your friendship with Quatre the benefit of an innocent doubt…"

"…No comment."

* * *

What to make…

What to make…

The house had been stocked with food, all of it fresh and well, raw. But that wasn't a problem, Quatre could cook. The problem was he didn't recognize most of the meats in the freezer. Why didn't they just give him chicken? What was conch? And how do you cook goat?! Eventually, he found some shrimp, and decided to do a simple pan fry with a spicy red sauce. MMM. Brunch. He raided the fridge until he found the leftover fried rice from yesterday. Along with the shrimp, he had enough here for all three of them.

_**Diiiiiing Dong**_

It must be Millardo. He hoped he wasn't hungry…Quatre rushed to open the door to let him in. The shrimp were still on the stove. He couldn't take his eye off of them for long.

"Hello Mr. Peacecraft, please come in."

"Hello Quatre, call me Millardo please. I'm not that much older than you, you know." He followed Quatre into the kitchen and was surprised to see him by himself.

"Quatre, where are the girls?"

"Hmm?" He flipped the shrimp in the frying pan. "Outside on the back patio. It's easy to find it you'd like to meet them. I'm sorry I can't take you, but the shrimp will be overcooked if I don't manage them. "

"They are out there by themselves? Are they getting along?" Millardo got up and started to look for the plates that Quatre would need soon. Ah, Quatre saw where this was going…

"Look, you can stay with me while I make lunch, but I'm not going back out there alone." Millardo chuckled. Apparently Quatre's strategic genius wasn't just for the battlefield.

* * *

"You know what Ms. Noin; I think you have a thing for blondes." They sipped the rest of the iced tea gracefully. It was getting hotter. Maybe it was even time for a dip in the ocean…

"Why do you say that, Dorothy?"

"Well Quatre talks very animatedly about you, so I'm assuming you spent a lot of time around him in the … past."

"I did."

"And you are head over heels for Mr. Peacecraft."

Noin chuckled."I am. But I should tell you Dorothy, I am very selective, blondes or not."

Dorothy was ready to listen in and learn about Noin's type of man. From the one she picked, she guessed she liked the stoic brave type…so she was very surprised to hear Noin's qualifications.

"Oh yes, and what are the…qualifications for winning your heart, Ms. Noin?"

"You have to be a platinum blonde. Plain and simple." The laughed so loud they were heard in the kitchen. Somehow, the sound the men heard was something like lions roaring in hunger. They both shuddered in fear. Millardo suggested that they make a salad…

* * *

They stepped out onto the patio with a fresh pitcher of water and lunch. Millardo led the way, his hands occupied by the water and plates they would use for lunch.

"I simply love the service here. We have to come by more often, Noin."

"Oh yes, and we can't forget to tip well, not with these waiters. Hello Millardo." Noin smiled and rose to take the plates from his hand. She also gave him a sweet little peck on the cheek.

"The meeting this morning was pointless…Two engineers stuck in a squabble over who gets what room. Has Mrs. Catalonia been pleasant to you?" He caught Dorothy's face out of the corner of his eye and smirked.

"Millardo you know you really are -" Quatre interjected by placing a plate of shrimp in front of her face.

"Could she ever be anything else?"

No one on the porch could keep a straight face after that.

The rest of the evening ran smoothly, they ate and talked until the afternoon grew hotter. Everyone agreed they needed some time to freshen up. Millardo and Noin left after arranging a second visit. As they walked out of the mansion, she gave Millardo the keys, thinking about the way he could have gotten here. Yes there were taxis, and even busses. But for some reason she couldn't think of him doing anything other than jogging here. Climbing into the car, she decided to forget about it…

"Did you enjoy yourself, Millardo?"

"I would have rather spent the time with you…alone…"

"That didn't answer my question." She pinched his arm.

_Ow!_

"It was a novel experience; and violence is not the answer, Mrs. Peacecraft."

She leaned to the side and kissed him lightly under his right ear. As she leaned over, he saw it. The engagement necklace he gave her last night. It was much less conspicuous than a ring, and easier to wear. It also looked wonderful on her.

"Mrs. Peacecraft. I like that…"

"You'll have a lifetime to get used to it."

* * *

After they finished cleaning the kitchen, they went their separate ways to shower. Both sweet smelling and drowsy when they met again, the day moved slowly as they made their way back to the bench swing on the back patio. The sun was lower in the sky, and the tide came closer to them with each wave. Dorothy joined Quatre on the porch swing. As her head fell into Quatre's lap, he looked away from the ocean and to her face.

"Thank you for the lunch Quatre. It was delicious."

"It was my pleasure." They swung back and forth in silence, Quatre slowly running his fingers through her hair. He decided when he woke up that today would be a good day, and it was. Hopefully one of the many that lay ahead of them.

"Dorothy?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you tell them about us?"

"No dear, I did not. " He stopped running his fingers through her hair. Sighing in protest, she gently teased his fingers out of her hair and kissed his hand before letting it go. She knew he wasn't stupid enough to think what she thought he was thinking… Dense maybe, but not stupid.

"I'm not ashamed of us you know. I just have a plan."

"And what is that." He might as well know now…before the police got involved.

"Keep petting me, and I'll tell you." Chuckling, he returned to his pastime pursuit.

"Yes, now this is a vacation…You are going to be a very good boyfriend." Without opening her half closed eyes, she felt more than saw him blush.

"Quatre, if we announce our relationship, can we do it at the wedding?" Oh, great, now she felt him drooping.

"That's months away."

"It is darling, but just listen to what I think is reason." She yawned. This vacation was mentally tiring. The food was good, and so was the boyfriend…but the thinking took entirely too much effort.

"If I were to tell Noin, who would tell Sally…who would tell Hilde…who would tell Relena, the entire universe would know. And I mean the entire universe. You have to remember she has access to the World Sphere news station."

Quatre laughed. "Relena would not put our relationship out in front of the whole World Sphere…"

"Give her the right type of chocolate, and that girl will do anything…"

"Dorothy!"

"Just kidding… Anyway, it's not really a problem that our friends know. It's just we won't see any of them until the wedding. So if they did find out too early, we'll both be getting calls night and day that are probably fueled by a thousand outrageous accusations."

"So…" Quatre was sure that would happen after the wedding anyway…what would be the difference then?

"So to prevent that, we can announce it to everyone who needs to know, while they are all in one neat little room and too drunk to remember anything the next morning."

"Dorothy…" Quatre sighed and relelented. He didn't really care. He had everything he wanted right here out on this bench. The rest was just a series of complications. Taking his hand out her hair for a second time, she kissed it; this time placing it on her cheek afterwards.

"I keep telling you to think of this as a trial period…"

" And I keep telling you that there is no trial to begin with…"

"Just keep petting me…"

* * *


End file.
